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Sinéad O’Connor’s cause of death revealed

Sinead O'Connor, seen here performing in 2008, announced the tragic news on Twitter. (Photo by Gaye Gerard/Getty Images)

Sinéad O’Connor’s cause of death has been revealed by authorities.

The singer died from “natural causes” according to a statement by the London Inner South Coroner’s Court, which was obtained by PEOPLE.


The coroner has now “ceased their involvement in her death.”

O’Connor passed away in July after being found “unresponsive” at a residence in London.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” the singer’s family said in a statement to the BBC and Irish broadcaster RTE.

Singer Sinéad O’Connor attends the Giorgio Armani; Cinema Society screening of “Albert Nobbs” at the Museum of Modern Art on Dec. 13, 2011, in New York City. (Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

At the time of her passing, “no medical cause of death was given,” according to a statement from the coroner’s office. “Therefore directed an autopsy to be conducted. The results of this may not be available for several weeks.”

“The decision whether an inquest will be needed will be decided when these results are known and submissions have been heard from the family,” the statement continued. “If an inquest is to be opened, the date of the brief public hearing will be provided on our website.”

Her death came a year after her 17-year-old son Shane committed suicide.

Born in Dublin, O’Connor was recognizable by her shaved head. She was a star from her 1987 debut album “The Lion and the Cobra” and became a sensation in 1990 with her cover of Prince’s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a seething, shattering performance that topped charts from Europe to Australia and was heightened by a promotional video featuring the gray-eyed O’Connor in intense close-up.

Her discography spanned decades. O’Connor released ten studio albums between 1987 and 2014. Her 1991 album “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” won the Grammy for Best Alternative Performance.

She was a lifelong non-conformist — she said her shaved head was in response to record executives pressuring her to be conventionally glamorous.

The singer was always outspoken on political matters, from Irish unification to sexual abuse in the Catholic church. During a 1992 performance on “Saturday Night Live,” O’Connor ripped up a photo of the pope on live television in protest.

In 1999, O’Connor caused uproar in Ireland when she became a priestess of the breakaway Latin Tridentine Church — a position that was not recognized by the mainstream Catholic Church.

She converted to Islam in 2018 and told fans she had changed her name to Shuhada’ Davitt.